Messianic Myths and Ancient Peoples
'''Messianic Myths and Ancient Peoples' is the fifth episode of the second season of Community. Shirley asks Abed to make a film about Jesus, but she is quickly angered when Abed turns it into a self-indulgent mess. Meanwhile, Pierce blows off the study group to hang out with "hipsters". Plot In the Anthropology classroom, Ian Duncan is loosely following the class outline of Anthropology by having the students study man through the use of video internet memes posted on YouTube. Although most of the class is enjoying the clips, Shirley and Pierce are not amused. She finds the videos to be crude and he doesn't understand the appeal of the humor. Shirley is saddened when she learns that such clips are viewed by millions while in comparison only a handful of people attended her church the night before. The next day in the cafeteria chow line, Shirley approaches Abed with request. Her church agreed to help fund the creation of a viral video with a Christian message and she asks if he could help. Abed refuses stating he's a filmmaker not a preacher and Shirley leaves disappointed. When Pierce grabs some unhealthy food, Abed tattles on him to Britta and she guilts him into making a healthier choice much to his annoyance. Annie watches this happen from the Hot & Brown coffee shop. She asks Jeff if he plans on doing anything about Pierce's recent behavior but he is uninterested in getting involved. Before Pierce can pay for his food, Leonard cuts in line. He grabs cookies and leaves without paying giving the cashier some attitude as he walks off. Pierce is impressed with his audacity and follows the old man back to his table where he meets his friends, a group of similar, cantankerous older students. Britta shows up having assumed Pierce got lost on the way to the study group's table. Leonard blows her a raspberry when she tries to introduce herself and she leaves in a huff. Pierce then mocks her and joins the older group at their table. In the library, Abed is researching something when he notices Shirley and calls her over. After having read the New testament he has changed his mind and is eager to do the film. Shirley is excited until she hears his complicated meta ideas on the project. Shirley disagrees with his plans to portray himself as Jesus and cancels the project. In a storage room, Pierce is with Leonard and his friends drinking liquor and playing poker. Dean Pelton interrupts them demanding that they put an end to their shenanigans. Pierce fakes dementia causing a sympathetic Pelton to allow them to continue. After the Dean leaves, Leonard and his pals praise Pierce for his fast thinking. In the study room, Shirley is trying to film the video herself with the help of Troy and Britta. They are all distracted when they hear a loud commotion outside of the building. They go to investigate and find a large crowd in the quad gathering around a camera crane which has Abed standing on the raised platform. Dressed up in a wig and gothic outfit, he addresses the students below aided by a booming microphone headset. He explains that the elaborate show he is putting on is all a part of his new meta film project. Shirley tries to get Troy and Britta back to doing her film be they quit and join Abed in his latest endeavor. Later, Shirley notices how the excitement and buzz being generated by the students over Abed's project. She goes to the cafeteria where Abed is holding a "press conference" about his film. End tag Jeff, Troy and Abed all arrive to the study room wearing the same shirt Jeff is wearing (a black button up). After Jeff storms out, Annie shows up wearing the same shirt and asks if she was too late for the prank on Jeff. Recurring themes Continuity: *'Discontinuity': Leonard says he doesn't care what YouTube is but in Season Three he uses the site for his video reviews of food. *'Returning students': Leonard returns with a gang of old "hipsters", Eric and Star-Burns. *'Returning faculity': Ian Duncan returns as the teacher for Anthropology. Running gags: *'Bon Appetit!': Pierce calls Britta a lesbian again. Pop culture references: *'Shout out': **Filmmaker Charlie Kaufman is mentioned twice. Dean Pelton is a big fan but Shirley seems to find his work overly complicated. **Dean Pelton found Ricardo Montalban captivating in his role as Khan. *'IMDB': **Dean Pelton names Spock in The Wrath of Kahn as an example of someone who sacrificed himself for others and was reborn. **Abed compares his film to Snakes on a Plane. *'Well-read': Abed read the New Testament of the Christian Bible overnight. Meta references: *'Résumé': Professor Duncan shows a YouTube video with someone farting out a laser. The clip is taken from the first episode of Laser Fart, a series of short videos Community creator Dan Harmon wrote and starred in for his monthly film festival, Channel 101. *'Up against the wall': Abed occasionally stares straight into the camera. At one point he says, "The film is the story and the story is us. We are the film." *'Everyone's a critic': Some see this episode as Dan Harmon's commentary on the show itself and the possible overuse of meta on Community. *'Use your allusion': **Several scenes from the episode mirror passages from the Bible. Shirley confronting Abed is similar to how the Pharisees questioned Jesus. Abed's prayer that his film will be taken away from him is similar to Jesus' prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane. The final scene in his film is clearly inspired by paintings of the Last Supper. **Pierce's storyline with the Hipsters is reminiscent of numerous coming-of-age teen movies: he meets a group of rebel misfits, is welcomed into the group, begins misbehaving and arguing with his parents, gets in over his head, is abandoned by his new friends, caught by authorities and then his family is there for him at the end. Quotes Images AA Abed god.jpeg|Abed on the set of his movie. AA Abeda.jpeg|Abed talking to Chang. AA Chang.jpg|Chang helping make Abed's movie. AA CHangs.jpg|Chang talking to Shirley. AA Community.jpg|Abed and the Dean on the set of the movie. AA movie.jpg|The set of Abed's movie. AA Set.jpg|Shirley and the Dean on the set of Abed's movie. AA Shirley movie.jpg|Shirley on the set of Abed's movie. AAa Jeff.jpg|Jeff talking to Shirley. Category:Season 2 Episodes Category:Self-contained escapade episodes Category:Community Episodes